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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0    fM  IIIIIM 
z  111 ^^ 


I.I 


1.25 


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2.2 
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1.8 


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Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


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33  WIST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  MS80 

(716)  873-4503 


^4 


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^<h 


^ 


A. 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


m 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


D 
D 


Couverture  endommagee 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  pelliculde 


Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


D 


Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


□    Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


D 
D 


D 


Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relie  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reiiure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutdes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  dtait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6t6  filmdes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppl6mentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  3xemplaire  qui  sont  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  methods  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquds  ci-dessous. 


□    Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

I      I    Pages  damaged/ 


[^ 


Pages  endommagdes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaur6es  et/ou  pelliculies 


r~l   Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


Pages  ddcolordes,  tachetdes  ou  piqudes 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tach^es 


I      I    Showthrough/ 


Transparence 


□    Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  indgale  de  I'impression 

I      I    Includes  supplementary  material/ 


Tf 
to 


Tl 

P< 
o1 
fil 


Oi 
b< 
th 
sii 
ol 
fil 
si( 
or 


Comprend  du  materiel  supplementaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 


Tl 
sh 
Tl 
w 

M 
di 
er 
be 

"1 
re 
m 


D 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmdes  d  nouveau  de  fapon  it 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  de  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 

16X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

1 

The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  the  Public 
Archives  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  film*  fut  reproduit  grAce  A  la 
ginArositi  de: 

La  bibliothdque  des  Archives 
publiques  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  imsges  suivsntes  ont  6ti  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  filmAs  en  commen9ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiimis  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  derniAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  —»>( meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaTtra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  uppsr  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seui  cliche,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite. 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mithode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

The  Dominion  offiih  liNiTHnSTATH^ 


s. 


AN  ADDRESS 


DELIVEHEl)    BY 


HARRY    RUBENS 


AT      THE 


Union    Lkagljk   Cluh, 


CHICACiO. 


OCTOBER  STH,   ISU:.. 


^gJjg^JSg^y-WAgBKN^INTiyo  Co.,  53  DKABBOBN  8T..  OHIC 


A(»0. 


iffr(/! 


7S2^r 


Mi{.    PUKSIDKNT  AND  (rKNTI.KMKN  : 

The  (|ue.sti<>n  :  "  Shall  the  policy  of  the  I'liitcd  SlaU's  )to  to  ex- 
tend its  dominion  r'  whirh  forms  the  theme  of  our  dis<Mission, 
does  not  a(hi)it  of  a  catej^oricHl  answer.  In  passinjr  judgment  u|)on 
any  i)roposed  exten^don  of  our  dominion,  much  depen  is  upon 
the  nature  and  <reo<rraphical  location  of  the  country  to  Iw  annexed, 
the  character  of  its  })opulation,  the  means  to  be  employed  in  soenr- 
in<r  it  and  the  possible  [)i)litical  conse»piences  of  such  annexation, 
l)oth  with  respect  to  our  domestic  and  with  regard  to  our  foreign  re- 
lations. To  extend  our  dominion  from  the  same  motives,  merely, 
which  were  the  propelling  force  of  con<iuerors  like  the  great  Napo- 
leon, is  of  course  out  of  the  question.  To  extend  it  by  means 
which  would  in\'olve  us  in  the  horrors  of  war  with  great  European 
powers,  appears  equally  impolitic.  To  obtain  dominion  over  coun- 
tries very  remote  from  o\ir  shores,  or  little  productive,  or  of  a  thickly 
settled  population  either  entirely  uncivilized  or  of  a  civilization  much 
lower  than  ours,  will  dso  be  admitted  to  l)e  very  undesirable.  What, 
then,  must  be  the  conditions  and  circumstances  which  will  make  an 
extension  of  our  dominion  appear  in  the  light  of  wise  and  judicious 
statecraft?  A  correct  answer  will  Ik?  found  rather  easily  if  we  in- 
vestigate the  accessions  to  the  territory  of  the  United  States  from 
the  formation  of  our  government  to  the  present  time. 


At  the  termination  oi'  the  revolutionary  war  our  dominion  con- 
sisted of  a  narrow  Inilt  of  land  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  hemmed  in 
on  three  sides  by  European  possessions.  After  occupying  our 
rightful  possessions  wesivvard  to  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  we 
lost  no  opportunity  to  extend  our  dominion  as  fast  as  possible  over 
the  North  American  continent.     The  first  act  was  the  purchase  from 


T 


France  of  the  (Miorinoiiii  territory  then  callod  Loiiisiann,  the  very 
heart  of  the  continent,  now  coniprisinf;  fifteen  states  and  one  terri- 
tory, having  an  area  of  eleven  hundred  and  eighty  thousand  s»|iiarc 
miles  andhoing  tive  times  greater  than  the  area  of  France.  Then 
foUowed  tlie  ae(|iiisiti()n  of  the  Fh)ridas  with  tiie  complete  southern 
maritime  frontiers  upon  the  (Julf  of  Mexico.  Next  in  (»rder  was 
the  ac<|uisition  of  Texas,  a  territory  greater  than  that  of  the 
(lerman  Empire.  This  was  foHowed  l>y  the  a«*(|uisition  of  California 
and  of  New  Mexico  and  of  Ariscona.  Lastly,  l»y  the  jxirchase  of 
Alaska,  we  extended  our  dominion  over  a  territory  entirely  di^con- 
nected  from  the  main  lK)dy  of  our  coimtry,  hut  still  on  the  North 
Anierican  continent.  With  a  territory  of  only  S2T,S44  s<|uare 
miles  in  lis;?  the  dominion  of  the  I'nited  States  was  steadily 
extended  so  that  in  less  than  one  hundred  years  it  compriseil  :^,«i(>3,- 
{SS-i  S(juare  miles,  or  more  than  four  times  its  original  teri'itory. 

With  the  exception  of  Canada  on  the  north  and  Mexico  on  the 
south,  our  dominion  has  lieen  thuscoiistantly  extended  over  the  entire 
North  American  continent.  In  the  light  of  hi.story,  therefore,  the 
policy  of  the  United  SUites  seems  to  have  l)een  unvarying  and  per- 
sistent in  favor  of  an  extension  of  its  dominion,  at  least  as  far  as  the 
North  American  continent  is  concerned.  Had  it  not  l)een  for  this 
|)olicy  and  its  constant  aj)plication,  sometimes  in  a  manner  of  more 
than'doid>tful  constitutionality, our  country  would  hutown  a  frajrment 
of  its  present  |)ossessions.  Its  position  among  the  great  nations  of  the 
earth  would  be  one  of  hut  secondary  importance,  nor  wouhl  we  have 
been  enal>led  to  enjoy  the  l)les->ings  of  peace  with  our  neighl)ors,  nor 
those  of  the  highest  agricultural  and  commercial  prosj)erity.  It  is 
idle  to  conjecture  what  our  lot  wouM  have  been  had  not  the  patriots 
and  statesmen  from  the  earliest  days  to  this  been  imlmed  with  the 
necessity,  not  only  from  a    selfish    standpoint,    with    extending  the 


dominion  of  our  flaj;,  hut  also  with  the  sncred,  lii^fhor  mission  of 
Hpreudinji;  tlio  gospel  of  domociiitic  self-government,  religious  lilx-rty 
und  eciiml  rights  over  the  entire  eontines  of  the  eonlinent.  That  tUo 
curse  of  slavery  could  not  have  been  eradicated  from  North  Ameri- 
can soil,  that  the  great  ircm  highways  would  not  now  extend  from 
the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  and  from  the  far  north  to  the  Mexican 
(lulf,  that  the  furnaces  and  mills  of  the  east  would  not  have  been 
busy  in  supplying  the  needs  and  wants  of  a  vast  empire,  and  our 
Chicago  W(»uld  not  have  l>eeu  able  to  rise  to  the  grandeur  and  power 
of  the  present  day,  hud  it  not  l>een  for  this  extension  of  territory, 
is  a  probability  amounting  almost  to  a  cerUiinty. 

The  successful  extension  of  our  dominicm,  the  comj)lete  amalga- 
mation of  the  vast  territory  thus  accpured  with  the  United  States, 
the  comparative  ease  and  speed  with  which  large  populations  be- 
longing to  the  Latin  race  have  intermingled  with,  and  been  welded 
to,  the  great  bulk  of  our  Saxon  population,  now  forming  one 
mighty,  and  for  all  practical  pur[)08es  homogenous  nation,  the  grand 
results  thus  accomplished,  both  from  iho  standpoint  of  material 
prosperity,  as  well  as  of  moral,  intellectiial  and  political  progress, 
furnish  the  very  l)est  proof  of  the  absolute  correctness  of  the  estab- 
lished policy  of  the  United  States  with  reference  to  this  continent. 
And  this  policy  has  been  carried  out,  despite  the  doubts  and,  often- 
times, the  opposition  of  some  of  our  greatest  political  thinkers ; 
carried  out  because  in  it  lies  the  realization  of  the  historical  destiny 
of  the  republic. 

Daniel  Webster,  in  a  speech  at  Faneuil  Hall  as  late  as  the  7th  day 
of  November,  1848,  exclaimed : 

"And  let  me  ask  if  there  be  any  sensible  man  in  the  whole 
United  States  who  will  say  for  a  moment  that  when  fifty  or  a 
hundred  thousand  persons  tind  themselves  on  the  chores  of  the 


f  i- 


PaciHc  Ocean,  tlioy  will   long  <^on8©nt  to  l»e  under  the  rulen  of 

the  American  CongroHs.    They  will  raiHe  the  standard  for  thein- 

iielves,  and  they  ought  to  do  it." 

And  before  him  that  great,  if  not  greatest  of  all  Amerinin  stiiten- 

men,  Thonnis  Jetierson,  when  referring  in  a  letter  to  John  Jaool» 

Aslor  on  March  24,  1H12,  to  a  new  settlement  on  Colnml)ia  river, 

Kpoaks  of — 

"Their  descondantH  spreading  throiigli  the  whole  length  of 
that  coast,  covering  it   with  free  and  indepondent  Americans, 
n/iconwctetl  inith  m  hut  hij  the  tti'x  of'  hlood  awl  of  Intcivat,  en- 
joying like  lis  the  rights  of  self-government." 
These  predictions  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  California  i» 
today  a  loyal  part  of  our  Union,  and  with  it  Texas  and  the  Floridas 
and  all  the  states  and  territories  gained   liy  the  extension  of  our 
dominion. 

The  policy  to  extend  our  dominion  having  lieen  estal»lished  as 
firmly  impressed  upon  the  history  of  our  past  national  life,  shall  it, 
and  will  it  he  continued,  and  what  territory  should  it  embrace  ^ 

Will  anybody  at  this  day  dispute  that  the  accession  of  Canada 
would  not  lie  of  the  highest  benefit  to  the  United  States  J  Its  popu- 
lation is  to  an  overwhelming  degree  com{)osed  of  people  of  our  idood, 
of  our  religion,  of  our  customs,  trained  in  the  arts  of  husbandry  and 
of  manufacturing,  skilled  in  conunerce  and  trade  and  navigation,  ac- 
custometl  to  self-government,  peaceable,  law-abiding  and  enjoying 
even  to  a  highei  degree  than  our  own,  the  blessings  of  civil  servico 
reform  and  of  an  impartial  and  swift  execution  of  the  laws  of  the 
land.  As  there  can  be  no  annexation  of  Canada  except  with  the 
consent  of  its  people,  the  problem  is  rendered  difficult  because  of 
the  political  wistlom  of  the  British  government.  While  the  Span- 
iards and  Portuguese,  after  founding  their  colonies,  have  held  them 


T 


mi^mm 


mi^i.^m:mmL.. 


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i 


w 


I 


nndwr  dospotic  subjection,  rind  hnvc  djMiiod  tlioin  {hv  v\<s\i\  df  self 
•jfovorninont,  aiil  thus  Ikivc  ftu'cod  tho  stni<;<.'l('  for  «Mimii('i|)!iti(m  on 
\\mv  pint,  tlio  cimiiinu;  of  British  ^tiitccnift  hns  proliti'tl  liy  thr 
Ufsaon  of  our  stru^;;h'  for  imtionul  iiKh'pciidciuT,  and  "  hiis  rt'hixi'd 
the  ohl  system  of  coloniid  (h-pi'iidciKM'. '"  Hut  <lillifult  and  in  the  far 
distance  as  tho  solution  of  thr  prulthMU  of  ('ana<iian  arnicxation  may 
upponr,  tiic  (hiy  '/'///  conu*  when  tlic  stars  ainl  >lri|»('s  shall  float  from 
t'vory  housetop  of  llu*  ('anadian  Nonunion. 

Still  more  iniproliahh*  i  id  far  r<'nioviM|,  and  to  man\ ,  indcsiraliic. 
will  the  aci'ossion  of  Mcxi.  o  appc  ul  the  pn'scnl  lime.  And  yet. 
HS  illustrious  a  statosuian  r.^  Lucas  Alannm  in  his  iri'cal  work  on  the 
llistor.  of  the  Mexicat    RepultJic  speaks  of  jiis  country  as 

''A  land  ()f  prospei-ity,  '>ut  it  will  not  he  so  for  the  races 
who  now  inhaliM  it," 
and  prophetically  points  to  ^^  in'nf/ifr  i^'rc'^  destined  to  siippiani 
it.  Will  not  and  shoidd  not  Mexico  share  tln'  fate  f  the  Kloridas. 
of  Louisiana,  of  'H'xas  and  of  California,  and  will  not  he,  who  no\v 
shakes  his  head  in  <lissent,  in  years  to  come  prove  to  have  heen  as 
nuicli  mistaken  as  Daniel  V>'el)ster  and  Thomas  detlerson  were  .vith 
reference  to  the  land  kissed    l)y  the  blue  wav«>s  of  the  l'aciti<'  ocea  i '. 

A  problem  of  annexation  nnich  m«)re  pressing  upon  tlie  attention 
of  ))atriotic  Americans  relates  to  the  pearl  of  the  Antilles  the 
island  of  (Julia.  The  problem  is  not  a  new  one.  It  is  almost  as  old 
as  the  history  of  our  Republic  itself. 

In  1823,   when  Secretary  of  State,   John  Quincy   Adams  wrote: 
*'  Numerous  and  formidable  objections  to  the  exterision  ()f  our 
territorial  dominions  present   themselves  to  the   tirsl  contem- 
plation  of  the  subject ;  obstacles  to   the  system  of  policy  l>y 
which  ahuie  that  residt  can  be  compassed  and  maintained  are  to 


6 

he  foreseen  and  .snrniountcd,   lK)th  from  sit  home  and   uln'oad ; 
but  there  are  hi\v.s  of  |)olitieal  as  well  as  of  physical  gravitation, 
and  if  an  a[)i)le  severed  l»y  the  temi)est  from  its  native  tree  can- 
not choose  but  fall  to  the  ground,  Cuba,  if  forcibly  disjointed 
from  its  own  unnatural  connection  with  Si)ain  and  incapable  of 
self-support,  can  gravitate  only  to  the  North  American  Union, 
Avhich   by  the  laws  of   nature,   cannot  cast   her    otT   from    its 
bosom.*' 
Thus  early  was  the  Cul)an  (piestion  of  annexation  clearly  and  pre- 
cisely stated  l)y  an  American  patriot  and  statesman  of  the  highest  au- 
thority.    And  before  and  since  those  days,  at  every  attempt  of  the 
unfortunate  people  of  that  island  to  cast  off  the  j'oke  of  Spanish  op- 
pression, the  (]aestion  of   extending   the  dominion  of  the   United 
States  over  Cuba  has  been  agitated,  and  political  scholars  and  states- 
men have  predicted  the  annexation  of  Cuba  as  the  inevitable  and 
lojrical  result  of  existincj  conditions. 

I  do  not  underrate  the  difficulties,  diplomatic  and  otherwise, 
which  still  have  to  Ije  overcome  before  the  stars  and  strij)e.s  will 
iloat  on  the  public  buildings  of  Havana,  nor  do  I  underrate  the 
difficulties,  i)erhai)s  still  greater,  of  dealing  with  the  new  member 
of  our  political  family,  after  its  admission.  But  a  people  which 
conceived  and  carried  out  the  problem  of  American  independence, 
which  devised  our  Constituti(m;  which  suppressed  rebellion  and 
managetl.the  problem  of  reconstruction,  which  enlarged  its  original 
territory  by  almost  three  millions  of  square  miles  in  less  than  a 
hundred  years  and  successfully  amalgamated  with  it  large  popula- 
tions of  Spanish  and  French  and  Indian  origin,  which  built  the 
Pacific  railroad  and  invented  the  cotton  gin,  and  the  electric  tele- 
graph and  the  telephone,  and,  last  but  not  least,  conceived  and  car" 
ried  out  the  miracle  of  the  World's  Fair  at  Chicago,  will  not  fail  in 


) 


' 


the  solution  of  the  prohleni  how  to  deal  with  and  make  contented  a 
niillion  an<l  a  half  of  Cubans. 

Again,  the  political  stomach  of  the  United  States  has  not  lost  its 
wonderful  digestive  powers.  If  it  iiad,  the  diet  of  millions  of  im- 
migrants, some  of  whom  as  little,  and  some,  like  the  Chinese,  much 
less  prepared  for  the  resi)onsihilities  of  American  citizenshij)  than 
the  people  of  Cuba,  W(Mild  long  ago  have  terminated  disastrously  for 
the  life  of  the  nation. 

Xot  only  because  they  are  our  nearest  neighbors,  not  only  because 
of  Spanish  desi)otism,  l)ut  also  because  of  the  cHunmunity  of  com- 
mercial interests,  do  1  regard  the  annexation  of  Cu))a  as  an  inevi- 
table result  of  political  necessity.  From  twelve  millions  of  dollars 
in  1870  our  exports  to  the  island  increased  to  twenty-four  millions 
in  1893,  in  which  year  our  imports  reached  the  sum  of  fifty-four 
millions  of  dollars.  \Miat  would  those  exports  have  amounted  to  if 
the  barrier  of  the  Spanish  customs  house  had  been  removed  ?  And 
how  well  could  we,  in  such  case,  afl'ord  to  remove  the  l)arriers  of 
our  customs  houses  from  the  products  of  its  sunny  cjime^ 

.Vnother,  and  eiiually  powerful,  tie   is  that   of    sympathy  of  one 

free  jieople  for   anothcf   struggling   for  freedom.      Hamilton   Fish. 

when  secretary  of  state,  well    expressed    the    current  feeling  iu  llic 

Ignited  States  regarding  Cul>a,  when,  in   his  letter  of  Novcndter  T), 

l"^"."),  to  Mr.  Cushing,  Cnited  States   Minister   at   .Madrid,  he  said  : 

"  While  remembering  and  observing;  tlie  duties  which  this 

government,  as  one  of  the  family  of  nations,  owes  to  another 

meml)er,  by  pul>lic  laws,  treaties,  or  the  particular  statutes  of 

the  United  States,  it  would   l)c   idle  to  attempt    to    conceal  tlie 

interest  and    sympathy   with   whii-h   .Auiericans  in   the  I'liitcd 

States  regard  any  attempt  of  a  numerous   jwopU'  on  this  conti- 


I 


wmm 


I 


uent  to  he  relieved  of  the  ties  which  hold  them  in  the  position 
of  colonial  subjection  to  a  distant  power,  and  to  assume  the 
independence  and  ri<rlit  of  self  control  which  natural  rights  and 
the  spirit  of  the  age  accord  them." 

One  more  consideration  an<l  I  am  done.  The  experience  of  the 
last  few  years  demonstrates  the  fact  that  we  can  no  longer  rely  upon 
our  supremacy  as  an  agricultural  country.  With  such  powerful 
competitors  as  the  Argentine  Kepul)lic,  India  and  Russia,  the  price 
of  our  cereals  was  bound  to  decline.  On  the  other  hand,  with  the 
increase  of  education,  refinement  and  luxury,  our  imports  from  Eu- 
rope increase.  We  are  forced  to  l)orrow  money  to  maintain  the 
Htandard  of  our  currency,  and,  as  we  spend  more  than  we  receive, 
we  are  going  from  bad  to  worse.  We  have  always  been  told  that 
we  are  the  richest  country  on  earth.  Superlatives  have  always  been 
in  great  demand  with  us.  But  when  we  need  money  for  the  gov- 
ernment, or  to  build  railroads  or  for  other  large  enterprises,  we 
have  to  go  to  the  |)oor  countries  of  Europe  to  borrow  it.  The  fact 
is,  while  we  are  rich  in  resources,  rich  in  skill,  rich  in  energy,  we 
are  poor  in  the  nnitter  of  accunudated  wealth,  poor  in  the  science  of 
political  economy  and  finance,  poor  as  regards  statesmen  fitted  by 
education  and  training  for  the  difiicult  tasks  of  the  day.  At  the 
same  time,  many  of  our  rich  men  spend  their  millions  in  Europe, 
and  some  of  them  sell  their  daughters  to  European  rakes  for  a  title 
of  more  or  less  unsavory  origin.  It  is  time  for  us  to  change,  and 
one  of  the  most  desirable  changes  would  be  an  increase  in  our  com- 
mercial  relations  with  other  countries,  and  an  extension  of  the 
dominion  of  the  United  States  in  the  right  direction. 

Let  us   have,    not  more  patriotism,    l)ecause  I  l)elieve  that  the 
patriotism  of  the  broad  masses  of  the  American  people  cannot  be 


•> 


yf^^f 


\ 


0 

increatied,  but  more  uitelUxjent  patriotism.      Let  us  have  u  little  less 
conceit  and  a  little  more  determination  to  improve  the  administra- 
tion of  our  [)ul)lic  affairs.      Let  us  realize  our  true  condition,  and 
\  stop  thinking  that  we  are,  and  that  everything  pertaining  to  us  is, 

the  best  and  the  greatest  on  earth.  Let  us,  abovo  all,  realize  that 
the  material  prosperity  of  a  nation  caiuiot,  in  the  long  run,  be 
maintained  except  l)y  the  exercise  of  wise  and  trained  statesmanship. 
Let  us  (piit  thinking  that  one  fellow  is  just  as  good  as  another 
and  a  great  ileal  l»etter,  and  that  every  one  of  us  is  fitted  for  every 
oflSce  in  the  gift  of  the  American  paoplc.  Then  the  dream  of 
Charles  Sumner  of 

"Our  country  covering  the  continent  from  the  frozen  sea  to 
the  tepid  waters  of  the  Mexican  Gulf," 
will  be  realized  as  well  as  the  projjhecy  of  the  great  Spanish  states- 
man, Emileo  Castolar,  when,  in  his  celel)rate(l  speech  in  the  Spanish 
Cortes  on  June  22,  1871,  he  said  : 

"  America,  and  especially  Saxon  America,  with  its  immense 
virgin  territories,  with  its  republic,  with  its  equilibrium  between 
stability  and  progress,  with  its  harmony  between  liberty  and 
democracy,  is  the  continent  of  the  future  —  the  innnense  con- 
tinent stretched  by  God  between  the  Atlantic  and  Pacific,  where 
mankind  may  plant,  essay  and  resolve  all  social  problems.'' 
And  then  only  will  the  words  of  Alexis  de  Toc(jueviIle  l)ecomP 
true : 

"  There  will  then  arrive  a  time  when  there  will  l)e  seen  in 
North  America  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions  of  men,  equal 
together,  who  will  have  the  same  point  of  de[)arture,  the  same 
civilization,  the  same  language,  the  same  religion,  the  same  hab- 
its, the  same  manners,  and  over  which  thought  will  circulate  in 
the  same  form  and  paint  itself  in  the  same  colors.     All  else  is 


10 

doubtful,  but  this  certuin.  Here  is  u  fact  entirely  new  in  the 
world,  of  which  civilisation  can  hardly  seize  the  extent.  The 
Americans  of  the  United  Stattis  will  become  one  of  the  greatest 
people  of  the  eaith  ;  they  will  cover  with  their  offshoots  ahnost 
all  North  America.  The  continent  which  they  inhabit  is  their 
domain  ;  it  cannot  escape  them." 


\m. 


«»  Ai*»4f  1.)-  >     "P, 


